Consultation on the Draft Programme for Government Framework 2016-2021 - Summary of consultation response from the Commissioner for Older People ...

Consultation on the Draft
          Programme for
 Government Framework
              2016-2021
       Summary of consultation response from the
                    Commissioner for Older People
                              for Northern Ireland

             July 2016

Context

The Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland’s role is to safeguard and
protect the interests of older people, defined by the Commissioner’s establishing
legislation as people aged 60 and over. The Commissioner is surprised to note that
this draft Framework contains no reference to older people and is seeking to change
this by requesting the addition of a further new outcome, along with relevant
associated indictors and measures.

There are powerful imperatives for older people to be given appropriate place in the
draft Programme for Government (PfG) document, with the demographics of Northern
Ireland forecast to change further during the timespan of this PfG. Given that the latest
NISRA Population Projections forecast the older population will increase from 396,000
to 445,000 during 2016-2021 (an increase of over 10%)1, the Commissioner is
surprised there is no direct reference to older people across this entire consultation
document – in neither outcomes, indicators or measures.

Furthermore the framework makes no reference to the Active Ageing Strategy (AAS),
despite it overlapping with the term of the PfG and also being a “cross-cutting” Strategy
of the NI Executive. By contrast, the document contains 20 mentions of ‘young people’,
and the 14th outcome is exclusively focused on younger people – ‘We give our children
and young people the best start in life’, with 6 commitments under ‘The Role of the
Executive’ and 20 supporting Indicators.
The Commissioner also perceives that there are opportunities for a clear reference to
Age Goods Facilities and Services legislation in this PfG framework. Such legislation
would prevent older people being treated less favourably than any other person on the
specific ground of age in the provision of goods, facilities and services. This was a
commitment made in the last PfG that unfortunately was not delivered for older people.
COPNI expects to see the legislation introduced in the next term of this Assembly and
Executive, and would welcome positive reference to it as a first step in this PfG
document.

    The Outcomes Based Accountability Approach

The Commissioner appreciates the potential for a genuine cross cutting approach
across government departments that this OBA approach could have, if implemented
successfully. However the Commissioner has more questions about the operation of
the approach, including:

         What happens if or when there is not ‘progress’ towards desired Outcomes?

1
    http://www.nisra.gov.uk/demography/default.asp20.htm

   There will be three ‘pathway’ projects set up to trial the new process – will the
          preliminary results/findings of these trials be available before the next stage of
          the consultation process?2
         Will there be any cross cutting programmes to establish a leadership culture to
          support Outcomes Based Accountability, and to bring together leaders of
          different stakeholder groups? 3
         Will there be coordinated learning opportunities and champions for the
          approach within Government, an approach that has been used elsewhere? 4

    Proposed New Outcome

COPNI would urge the NI Executive to make the following addition to the draft
PfG;-

             “We respect, value and protect our older people.”
Suggested: ‘The Role of The Executive’
    ‘We will make a contribution by’:

         Supporting and promoting better health among older people.
         Promoting positive attitudes towards older people.
         Supporting safe, secure environments for older people to live in.
         Promoting opportunities for older people to be economically and socially
          involved, and not isolated.
         Promoting opportunities for older people to increase their income security and
          supporting them from falling into poverty.

    Indicator                                                               Data Controller / Owner
    Percentage who reported their general health as good over               DHSSPS, Health Survey NI
    the last twelve months (by age)
    Disability Free Life Expectancy, Healthy Life Expectancy (at            DHSSPS,          Public Health
    65)                                                                     Information      and Research
                                                                            Branch

2
  http://scopeni.nicva.org/article/programme-for-government-the-next-
steps?utm_source=ScopeNI&utm_campaign=563aae3ee6-
ScopeNI_3_July_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ebfedef341-563aae3ee6-323144549
3
  Erica Wimbush, ‘Implementing an Outcomes Approach to Public Management and Accountability in the UK –
Are We Learning the Lessons?’
4
  Improvement and Development Agency, ‘Improving Service Delivery – Introducing Outcomes-Based
Accountability’.

Percentage         achieving   Chief   Medical     Officer’s   DHSSPS, Health Survey NI
 recommendations for physical activity, by age
 Do you have any long-term health problems, illness,            NICOLA Project
 disability or infirmity?
 Percentage of respondents experiencing mobility difficulties   DHSSPS, Health Survey NI
 How often do you have contact with any of your                 NICOLA Project
 children/other relatives/close friends
 Percentage of respondents involved in groups, clubs and        NICOLA Project
 organisations
 Percentage of respondents with caring responsibilities         DHSSPS, Health Survey NI
 How often do respondents feel lonely                           NICOLA Project
 In Employment - Receive the recognition I deserve for my       NICOLA Project
 work
 Relative low income percentages for population groups       Households Below Average
 (after housing costs)                                       Income Report – Department of
                                                             the Communities
 Percentage of those in fuel poverty, by age                 NIHE, House Condition Survey
 Percentage living in decent homes, by age                   NIHE, House Condition Survey
 Percentages at risk of becoming a victim of any household DOJ, NI Crime Survey
 or personal crimes
 Percentage of respondents worried about becoming a victim DOJ, NI Crime Survey
 of crime
 How often do you find you have too little money to spend on NICOLA Project
 what you feel you and your household’s needs are?
 Employment Rates of older people (by age)                   NI Labour Force Survey
 Essential Skills enrolments and qualifications (by age)     Department for the Economy –
                                                             published annually
 Enrolments at higher and further education institutions     Department for the Economy –
                                                             published annually

 Outcomes and Indicators

COPNI has identified specific problems with the set of Indicators outlined in the draft
PfG document. In many cases, the problem is not the specific area the Indicator tracks,
but that Indicators are skewed towards specific other age groups, leaving older people
out. To make monitoring of certain outcomes less relevant to older people would
restrict the effectiveness of the whole PfG, at a time when our older population will be
increasing at a faster rate than other age groups. How then will the Executive or other
interested organisations, such as COPNI, be able to effectively monitor the ongoing
implementation of the PfG and the outcomes for older people.

Additionally, in past discussions with OFMDFM as part of the development process of
the Active Ageing Strategy through the Ageing Strategy Advisory Group, the
Commissioner was clearly advised that there was no available resources to develop
the new data to support the type of indicators which would have usefully supported the
emerging strategy. Therefore, COPNI is concerned that the same issue will apply to
the indicators referenced for the PfG which also require the development of new data.
COPNI would welcome confirmation that resources will be made available to do this.

Incomplete educational or employment Indicators (which only refer to 16-64’s) will also
impede the effective monitoring of Outcome 1, 5 and 6, and 12, whilst insufficient detail
for Indicators of Transport and Internet usage (they are absolute numbers) will obstruct
proper monitoring of Outcome 6 and 13. When faced with data that does not separate
out older people or take account of the majority of the older population, COPNI, and
all other groups with an interest in our older population, will be unable to effectively
monitor if outcomes for older people are improving and to offer appropriate advice to
Government.

There are places (such as within Outcome 3 and 9) where AGFS legislation could be
included, and COPNI hopes that there is a commitment to introduce such legislation
in the emerging Action Plans. COPNI also believes that the indicators cited to support
Outcome 4, ‘We enjoy long, healthy, active lives’, should be rebalanced to include
specific data pertinent to older people in addition to those proposed.

 Conclusion

The Commissioner is disappointed that an appropriate level of consideration of older
people’s interests is not articulated in the PfG document, either at the highest level
(i.e. in both outcomes and context) or at the supporting level (some Indicators not
including older people at all). This is especially disappointing as the Commissioner
believes that older people would benefit from an approach which provides a framework
for cross cutting initiatives across the many departments and areas of Executive
activity that are important to older people. The Commissioner believes that the
inclusion of the proposed new Outcome would help to rebalance the Programme, and
provide a framework for this activity, without affecting other parts of this framework.